Lemon Curd & Earl Grey Loaf Cake Recipe

Ingredients

Makes one large loaf cake 

3 Fortnum’s Classic Earl Grey Tea Bags  
 

100ml whole milk

200g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing 

175g golden caster sugar  

3 large eggs
 

grated zest 1 lemon
 

1⁄2 tsp vanilla extract
 

200g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder
 

1⁄2 tsp salt
 

50g ground almonds
 

6 tbsp Fortnum’s Lemon Curd

150g icing sugar

Candied lemon zest or slice to decorate (optional) 

How to Cook

STEP 1

Warm the whole milk in the microwave or a small pan until just below boiling. Pour into a mug or small jug and add the tea bags to infuse for at least 1 hour.

STEP 2

Preheat your oven to 170 ̊C/150 ̊C fan/gas 3. Butter and line the base and sides of a 900g/2lb loaf tin. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and ground almonds, and set aside. Using an electric whisk, beat together the butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time until completely smooth.    

STEP 3

Add the lemon zest and vanilla, then fold through the dry ingredients until you have a thick batter. Stir through the earl grey-infused milk.  

STEP 4

Tip three-quarters of the batter into the tin, then add 4 tbsp of the lemon curd, slightly swirling through with a spoon. Top with the remaining batter, smoothing the top.     

STEP 5

Bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 15 minutes, then remove from the tin to allow to cool completely. .    

STEP 6

To make the icing, mix together the icing sugar with the remaining 2 tbsp of lemon curd, plus 1-2 tsp of water, until you have a smooth paste. Spread over the top of the cake, allowing some to run down the sides.     

STEP 7

Decorate with candied lemon, if desired. Leave the icing to set completely before serving. This cake is delicious right away but is best enjoyed the day after it is made.